A deadly choice
by waterbendergirl101
Summary: "I'm not a very patient man, my dear, so I'm only going to ask you this once.  What do you chose – a life with me, or no life at all?"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: OMG, I think it's the first time in my entire fanfiction history that I uploaded 2 new stories 2 days in a row. I just got so enspired to do an evil Baltor story that the practically wrote itself. I know this isn't the kind of story that your used from me but I think I portrated Baltor more like he is in the cartoon. I hope you like it.**

**I also want to say that this will be a 3-shot, that means 2 more chapters will follow and I will let you chose want you want me to write first. I know it sounds a bit confussing now but once you've read it you will understand. **

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**A deadly choice : part 1**

**written by: waterbendergirl**

**edited by: authoress**

Bloom had been to Cloud Tower more than once, and the eerie feeling that surrounded the castle had never bugged her before. But now, standing in front of its gates, her thoughts clouded and confused, she felt truly scared. The rain kept pouring, and she was soaked to the bone, but she didn't seem to notice.

Gathering her nerve, she opened the gates and walked straight through until she reached the castle's door. A few short knocks were enough to announce her presence.

"I said it before and I'll say it again – I don't care how much you admire Baltor, you're not going to see him. Aren't you groupies tired of this by now? I know I am," Icy sighed. She stood partially hidden by the door, not caring who it was.

"It's nice to see you again too, Icy. I must say, out of the three of you, you're the one I detest the most," Bloom said, plastering a big fake smile on her face.

"Oh, it's you," Icy stated, looking more than a little confused. "I don't think he knew you were coming."

"Call it a surprise visit."

"Come on in, you know the way." Icy stepped out of the doorway to let her in.

Bloom walked through the corridors towards his office, the dreadful feeling of before returning, sending shivers down her spine. The sounds of her water-logged shoes squishing and splashing with every step echoed through the hallways, but the only thing she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat, pounding wildly in anticipation of what she was about to do. She didn't hesitate for a moment as she reached his office; she just opened the door and walked straight in.

An amused smile spread across Baltor's face as he saw her drenched condition. "Didn't they teach you how to do protection spells at Alfea?" he smirked, walking towards her.

Bloom willed her heart to slow down, but his advancing had quite the opposite affect. "Let me help you." Baltor's glowing hands grabbed her own, and from them a golden second skin spread over her. When the light disappeared, her clothes were dry again.

"Thank you," she whispered, staring down at the floor, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I can think of something better, if you really want to thank me." He tilted her chin upwards, bringing her face closer to his until she could feel his warm breath on her lips.

"I didn't come here to play happy couple," Bloom stated, the strength in her voice returning. She put a hand on his chest and took a step back. "We need to talk."

"If it's about the fight, don't worry – I know it wasn't your intention to hurt me." Baltor closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She looked up, eyebrows arched inquisitively, and noted the cut on his cheek. "I didn't even knew I hurt you," she said, tracing the cut with her finger. The healing spell was simple, and in no time the red mark disappeared.

"Thank you." Baltor held her hand against his face and kissed her palm.

"Stop it," Bloom exclaimed angrily, pulling herself out of his embrace. She walked around the desk, using it as a barrier between them.

"You didn't seem to want me to stop last night," he said suggestively, smirking at her.

_Ugh… why isn't he taking me seriously?_ Seeing no other option, Bloom just shouted out the words that had been weighing on her mind all day. "This has to stop!"

Baltor stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean, 'this has to stop'?" he hissed through clenched teeth. Bloom took a step backwards, startled by his sudden outburst. "You knew damn well what you were doing when we started this." He slammed his fist down on the desk in anger, for emphasis.

"Do you remember what I said after the first time we kissed?" He seemed to calm down a bit. "I asked you if you were sure about this, I asked you if you knew what getting involved with me meant. It meant – and it still means – that you'll be mine, _and mine alone, forever._

"And do you know how you answered that question? '_I want you, I want to get to know you_'." He mimicked her voice. "So now you want to go back on your words?" Baltor stopped before her, lifting her chin up so her eyes could meet his. "Well?" he demanded again.

Anger flashed through her. _Of course_ she knew what had happened. The fear that had previously clouded her mind disappeared, replaced by determination.

Bloom yanked herself free of his grip, placing a considerable distance between them before she started to speak. "I know, but it's just getting to be too much. You know what we discussed this afternoon? The others were talking about where they could find the Water Stars, and how to obtain them." Bloom paced back and forth nervously. "They want to kill you."

Baltor's eyes widened in surprise. He knew about the Water Stars, but hadn't expected that those dim-witted fairies would come up with such a plan so soon.

"And how do you think that's going to make me feel, huh?" Bloom continued. "They'll want me to be the one to do it – they know I'm the only one with power that matches yours. And what do you think their reactions will be when I refuse to do it?" Her voice filled with despair. "We have to stop this, before the pain of losing each other becomes too much," she whispered, a pleading look in her eyes.

The fear of losing him wasn't the only reason, though. She was leading two lives, and they kept getting closer intertwined with every passing day. Her friends loved her and would do anything for her, while she sneaked around their backs with Baltor. From the beginning, she had always known that it would eventually come to this – that she would have to choose between her lover and her friends – but never in her wildest dreams had she thought it would be this difficult to separate herself from him.

"That's not the only reason," Baltor said slowly, seeing the doubt in her eyes. Bloom knew what he was capable of when she hid things from him, so, not wanting to face his wrath, she admitted the truth.

"I hate lying to my friends. I can't do it anymore; the guilt is eating me alive." Bloom could have sworn she saw anger flash in his eyes, but it disappeared immediately.

"Bloom," he said rather calmly, fisting his hands to control his anger. "I am a dark wizard. Even if I have always kept my cool around you, it's in my nature to hurt people, especially when I get upset." He stopped right before her, their faces only inches apart.

"I'll say it again," Bloom started, taking a step backwards, before Baltor suddenly grabbed her by the throat and pressed her against the wall, her feet hovering a few inches off the ground.

"No, _I'll_ say it again. You knew what you were getting into." His voice was low and menacing. Bloom clawed at his hands, trying to loosen his grip, but to no avail.

"Please," she pleaded, tears starting to slip down her cheeks. Noticing this, Baltor carefully sat her down against the wall, while still keeping his hand locked around her throat.

"Doesn't this mean anything to you?" he whispered, before taking her lips in a gentle kiss, his hands leaving her throat to wrap around her waist and pull her closer. Bloom kissed back tenderly, putting all her emotions into that kiss. Wanting him to know how much she loved him.

"See, this is too precious to lose," he said, after breaking the kiss. "I love you, sweetness."

"I love you too," she replied, more tears falling from closed eyelids.

"Bloom, I'm going to make this very easy for you." Her heartbeat started to accelerate again, as he placed his arms on either side of her face, effectively trapping her against the wall.

"I'm not a very patient man, my dear, so I'm only going to ask you this once. What do you chose – a life with me, or no life at all?"

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**Raise your hand if you think dark Baltor is hot. Now I hope you remembered what I said at the beginning of this story. You can chose what part you want first, the one in which she choses him, or the one in which he kills her (that's going to be evil) **

**Tell me what you think**


	2. chapter 2 : life

**A/N: Hi everyone. So I got a lot of requests saying they wanted the version in which she lives first. So here it is. I really like it and hope you'll do to. **

**Please review (I would really apreciate it)**

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"_Bloom, I'm going to make this very easy for you." Her heartbeat started to accelerate again, as he placed his arms on either side of her face, effectively trapping her against the wall._

"I'm not a very patient man, my dear, so I'm only going to ask you this once. What do you chose – a life with me, or no life at all?"

Bloom didn't recognize the dark creature standing before her, threatening her life. Was this still the man she was in love with? She squeezed her eyes tight, not wanting to let any more tears fall.

She had thought that they were past this. Their relationship had changed him – made him more caring about other people's lives. During his quests for spells and relics, he would deliberately imprison the planet's inhabitants so they would be kept out of harm's way. Even if he claimed that he only did it because they were troublesome, Bloom knew he did it to protect them. The more time he spent with her, the more empathic he became. But now she could clearly see the darkness that still loomed behind his seemingly kinder façade.

"You would kill me?" she asked, in a barely audible voice.

"Don't think I'm incapable of it." He summoned a fireball in his hands and held it close to her face, centimeters away from her skin. Bloom flinched at the bracing heat, but forced an air of confidence.

"So you would kill the woman you love," she tried again, praying that his feelings for her were genuine.

Baltor's eyes flickered with doubt, but it disappeared before she was even sure she had really seen it it. "I'm a dark wizard, Bloom. I don't love, I just want." But he pulled the fireball away from her face a bit.

"Don't play tricks on me. If you aren't capable of love, then why is it that you say you love me?"

His face froze for a moment, stunned, before a smirk appeared in its place. "Because that's what you wanted to hear."

"I only want to hear it when it means something," Bloom retorted. "Now I know it was just empty words."

"Stop beating around the bush, and just give me your answer. What do you choose? Me or them?" The fireball reappeared in her line of sight.

Shivers raced down her spine – and not in a good way – at the tone of his voice. But though his tone was menacing, she knew he was lying. He might say otherwise, but she could see that he loved her; it was in his eyes. They were filled with love, love for her. No matter how hard he tried to disguise it, she could see. He wouldn't kill her; he couldn't. Laying her fate in his hands, she finally made her choice. "Neither."

"Fine" he said. "Then I'll make it for you." Baltor grabbed her by the throat and pressed her hard against the wall, lifting her up from the floor. He concentrated his power, making the fireball larger, and arched his arm, ready to attack.

Baltor couldn't help but steal a glance at her face. Even though she knew she was about to die, he didn't see any fear or regret on her face. She was acting just like he would if the situation was reversed. And then it hit him – he would never find someone more of an equal to him than Bloom. Even though they were lovers, they still remained on opposite sides of the battlefield – him fighting for ultimate power, and her trying to stop him. Never had she stood down when they were fighting; never had he known someone so passionate about their goals. They were two sides of the same coin – perfectly matched in every way.

Bloom saw the fireball dissipate, and before she knew it she was on the ground again in his arms, his mouth fiercely attacking hers. She kissed him back, matching his passion.

"You'll still have to leave them," he said, suddenly ending the kiss.

"What?" Bloom asked in confusion, only focusing on his lips.

"Bloom, listen to me. If your friends knew about us, they would never let it go; they would keep haunting us for the rest of our lives. Is that what you want?"

Bloom considered his words carefully. She had never imagined living happily ever after with him, but the idea very much appealed to her.

"What can we do?" she asked.

"I have a plan," he said. "We'll have to fake our own deaths."

"What?"

"Think about it. Your friends are close to finding the Water Stars. That means the final battle is only a couple of weeks away. If we both vanished after that, they would easily assume we both died."

"I'm listening."

The moment of her departure was hard on both of them. They knew that the next time they would see each other again was on the day of the battle. If they were caught together by one of her friends before then, the plan would be completely ruined.

"Remember Bloom," he whispered after giving her another gentle kiss, "I told you I would have to summon all my darkest powers to fight against the Water Stars. But no matter what happens, it's still me inside, and I know that when the time comes you'll get me out of it. I love you," he reassured her, "and I have complete trust in you."

"I love you too," she whispered back. "Until then."

"Bloom, snap out of it!" Flora shouted, as she struggled to keep her Enchantix Ivy Wrap around Baltor's beast form.

"Huh?" Bloom was completely shocked as she took in the beast before her. Baltor had told her he would have to go to extreme lengths to fight off her friends' power, but she had never expected that it would transform him into this.

"That didn't affect him at all," Bloom heard Layla say from behind her, astonished.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw him smash Layla and Flora into the wall with just a movement of his _wings. _As he was about to use a spell on them, Bloom knew she had to snap out of it. Deep down, the Baltor she knew was still inside of that ugly beast. Without thinking it through, she shot a fireball at him.

"Bloom!" the beast roared, pinpointing her as the source of the attack.

_Good, _she thought, _at least he still recognizes me._

From behind her, she heard Stella, Tecna and Musa summoning a convergence attack. From the heat the spell was radiating, Bloom knew it was a deadly spell, but it just deflected off the beast's skin like a paper airplane.

"I thought that was a strong one," Stella whined.

_I thought so too, _Bloom agreed silently.

Though he looked like a monster, Baltor was still recognizable in his beast form. The way he moved, the spells he used… it was all typical Baltor-style. And then it clicked.

_I told you I would have to summon all my darkest powers to fight against the Water Stars. But no matter what happens, it's still me inside, and I know that when the time comes you'll get me out of it._

_That_ was what he had meant.

"Listen guys," Bloom started, making her plan sound like an idea to help them so they wouldn't suspect that she was helping him. "Baltor is much stronger in this form than in his human form. But I have an idea, that just might work."

"Power of the flame, leave me. Go and find Baltor's fire!"

Bloom felt her spirit being pulled out of her own body. She looked down to see that everyone had gathered around her fallen form. Redirecting her attention to Baltor again, she searched for his flame and let it pull her in.

Darkness greeted her as she opened her eyes again. It was completely black, and she could feel the dark power surrounding her like fog, suffocating her.

A spell was shot in her direction from out of nowhere, and the next thing she knew she was pinned to the floor, Baltor holding her body down with his own. Bloom looked into his eyes and was startled to see that they were a deep crimson red, filled with bloodlust.

"Baltor," she tried but nothing happened. Bloom summoned a shield, the heat of which caused him to get off of her and take a few steps back.

"It's me Bloom," she tried again, but was only greeted by another attack. Bloom dodged it quickly, taking advantage of his momentarily stunned state to push him against a wall. "Snap out of it!" she shouted, and without even thinking, she slapped him hard. Baltor roared in response, and she quickly stepped back from him, afraid of what he might do.

Bloom grit her teeth. She was _going_ to make him snap out of this, even if it meant she had to fight him. "Enchantix Fire Wrap!" she shouted. Flaming chains appeared crisscrossed over Baltor's body, restricting his movements. "Snap out of it!" she tried again, tightening the chains on his body.

He just shot her an evil smirk. Slowly his right hand slipped out of the chains' hold, and steadily the left hand followed. Bloom saw what he was doing too late to stop him, as he took hold of the chains and with one quick pull ripped them off and threw them in her direction. She had just enough time to duck before they went flying over her head, only to crash into the wall and dissipate.

Baltor's eyes glowed even more as he angrily stalked towards her. Bloom couldn't believe her eyes – that was one of her strongest attacks. Deciding that the best offense was a good defense now, she started to summon shield after shield after shield. But it didn't seem to have any effect on Baltor, as he stepped through them like they weren't even there.

Growing desperate, Bloom saw only one option was left. Raising her arms, she searched deep for her Dragon Fire and summoned her most powerful attack. "Dragon Fury!" she shouted, as she released all her energy at once. The fire hit Baltor straight in the chest and sent him flying into the opposite wall.

Smoke filled the whole room. Bloom pressed herself against the wall, searching for support, fearing her wobbly legs wouldn't keep her upright any longer. Her vision blurred from the enormous energy loss, and she felt her skin heating up. She pressed her head against the cold wall, willing herself to take slow, deep breaths. She hoped that the attack had been enough, because she didn't know if she was capable of fighting him any longer.

When the smoke cleared, Bloom glanced hopefully at Baltor's fallen form. Carefully she moved a little closer and saw him lying partially upright against the wall, his coat and shirt seared by the fire, a burn wound in the middle of his chest.

Momentarily forgetting that she wasn't sure if Baltor was back to normal again, Bloom rushed over to him. Grabbing his hand to check his pulse, she was surprised when his other hand shot out and grabbed her by the throat. In only seconds the situation was reversed – Bloom was now lying on the floor, Baltor pinning her to the ground, his hand still held secure on her throat. Bloom clawed at his hands, but she didn't have enough power left to fight him off.

Fear clouded her senses as she saw one of his hands starting to glow.

"You burned me," Baltor spoke for the first time, his voice a low growl. "Now let me repay the favor." He smirked as he brought his glowing hand down on her upper arm. The heat of his touch was excruciating, and the smell of her own burning flesh filled her nose.

"Not a very nice feeling, is it?"

Tears of relief fell from closed eyelids as he finally pulled his hand away. The sight of her crying seemed to make him hesitate, and Bloom decided there was only one thing left she could try.

"Baltor," she whispered, as she cradled his face with one hand. "I love you."

His golden eyes returned for just a moment before the red replaced them again. With the last of her strength, Bloom pulled her fairy dust bottle from its chain around her neck and smashed it on his back, the contents seeping into his skin.

An earth-shattering scream passed his lips as the healing power of the dust started to take effect. The last thing Bloom saw before she passed out was a golden light surrounding him.

_Please, let this work._

"Bloom," Baltor whispered, carefully cradling her body in his arms. "Wake up, sweetheart."

Her eyelashes fluttered slowly, and Baltor felt an immediate sense of relief when he saw her beautiful sapphire orbs.

"You're back?" she asked fearfully, her throat sore from the smoke inhalation.

"I'm back," he reassured her, wanting to hold her as close as possible.

"It took you long enough." Bloom smiled, trying to brighten up the situation. She tried to sit up, but pain suddenly shot through her arm.

Baltor looked down at her sadly. Silently, she followed his gaze to the red handprint he had left on her arm.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he whispered, carefully stroked the outline of the wound. "I already tried to heal it, but it seems I used dark magic to inflict it. I don't think it will ever heal completely."

Bloom looked up at him, all the love that she felt for him shining through her eyes. "It was a small price to pay if it means I can spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."

"I love you too." Baltor stood up and helped her up too, since her strength hadn't returned completely. "Now all we have to do is put on a good show out there, and make them believe we're dead." He smiled. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked. Bloom nodded, and took a few steps back.

"Make it seem believable," she replied.

Bloom closed her eyes, as a gust of wind made her fly backwards.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in her own body.

"Are you alright?" Sky asked, as he helped her stand up.

"He threw me out," Bloom panicked, using her best acting skills to make them believe her words as the truth.

"What can we do now?" Tecna asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

"We can try a convergence again," Stella piped up.

"That isn't strong enough," Musa argued. "You saw what it did to him last time – _nothing_."

"I'll have to finish this."

All heads turned to Bloom.

"No," Sky exclaimed immediately. "If the last spell didn't work, then what makes you think it will be any different this time?"

"I'm the only one with the Dragon Fire besides him. You said it yourself – no one else's power matches his as closely as mine." The girls opened their mouths to protest, but Bloom had already flown off.

"Wait for us!" Stella whined, as the others followed her lead.

Bloom flew directly to the place she and Baltor had agreed on. Seeing him running down the cave's halls, she stopped and left a few feet of space between them.

"It's over, Baltor." Bloom shouted. He turned around and directed his attention to her.

"Do your worst," he laughed, that devilishly handsome smirk she loved appearing on his face. Silently, she raised her arms and clasped her hands together. Glancing up briefly, she saw Baltor mirroring her actions. She could feel the energy building up, and when it reached its peak she opened her hands. Between them was a ball of fire, which grew larger the further she spread her palms.

"Dragon Fire Spirit!" she shouted, and she could hear Baltor say the same. A roaring dragon's head formed from the ball of fire, meaning to strike Baltor.

The contrast in their powers had never been more visible than now. While Bloom's dragon was pure white, surrounded by a gold light, Baltor's was pitch black.

Both powers were evenly matched; no one could win this fight. Magic energy started to escape from the point where the dragons met, the cave starting to shake from the condensed raw power.

"Bloom, we have to get out of here!" Sky shouted.

"I can't," she said, turning around to face them. "It's the only way; you know it." Everyone knew what she was implying – that for him to die, she had to die with him.

"No. We'll find something else," Stella screamed, tears glinting at the corners of her eyes.

"You have to get out of here," Bloom stated, tears sliding down her cheeks. She studied each of her friends' faces carefully, willing herself to remember every detail about them. "I love you all," she whispered, as she turned to face Baltor again.

"We have to go!" Tecna shouted, ushering all of her friends out. Not a second after they made it out, the cave collapsed, killing their beloved Bloom and mortal enemy Baltor.

…Or so they thought.

Bloom watched her friends silently as they stood around a grave in the cemetery – _her grave. _Baltor had protested at first when she mentioned that she wanted to go to her own funeral, but in the end he had to give in. She knew he couldn't deny her anything she wanted.

"Haven't you seen enough?" Baltor whispered in her ear, also studying her friends from behind the bushes where they were hidden.

"It just makes me feel so desperate to see them so sad. I wish I could do something to ease the pain." She turned around to look at him. His once perfect face was now covered with bruises and cuts. It had taken them a lot more time than planned to get out of that cave, and they had the wounds to prove it. Even though the battle had been almost a week ago, both Bloom and Baltor still sported some bruises and other minor injuries.

"You know what it would do to them. Just give them some time. I promise you after a time of grieving they will all pick up their lives again. Even Sky," Baltor added as an afterthought. He put a hand on her arm, reassuring her of the decision she had made. Bloom winced as pain briefly shot through her from the place Baltor had touched her arm. Though she didn't say it to him directly, the place he had burned her – or her 'battle wound', as she like to call it – still hurt like hell.

Baltor pulled her closer and turned her around, starting to pull her in the opposite direction. "Let's go home."

Bloom looked back one last time, before she looked up at Baltor, confusion evident on her face. "Home? And where exactly is that?"

"Where ever you want it to be." He smiled.

She knew they couldn't stay at Cloud Tower any longer; it was a miracle they hadn't been discovered yet, and she certainly didn't want to risk it. A thought popped into her mind. "So if I said I want to go to Earth…"

"I would say of course."

"Good." She smiled, wrapping both of her arms around his torso. "I'd like you to meet my parents, and who knows? Maybe after spending some time on Earth, you'll like it enough to want to live there."

"We'll see."

Bloom couldn't keep the smile off her face. Even though her friends and the whole magical community thought she was dead, she had never felt happier in her life. If she had to choose again between a life with him or with her friends, she definitely would make the same choice again. She pulled away slightly and intertwined her hand with his, as she kept walking away from her past and into her future.

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**please review**

**I will try my best to put the other part up by the end of the week**


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